Finding Hope
by aethra
Summary: NiCo. A different take on Courtney's disappearance.
1. The Haunted House

Chapter One: The Haunted House

It was just after sunset, the end of a beautiful day in early April. A group of boys was tempting fate, and their parents' wrath, by staying out well past curfew. They had taken flashlights and ridden their bikes over to the old abandoned house just beyond the edges of their neighborhood.

"It's haunted, you know," one of the oldest boys whispered to the others nodding toward the dark house.

"No, it's not," Jacob protested. He was the youngest boy present, in fact he'd only been allowed to come because he'd overheard his older brother sneaking out and had threatened to tell their parents. Now he was afraid and wishing that he'd stayed home. He hoped that a show of boldness would mask his fear.

"Yes, it is," his brother Eric countered. "Josh said he and Andy came out here last night and he could hear a woman screaming." He relished the chance to report this gruesome detail that he'd picked up in school that morning.

"Wicked," Steve answered.

"You're just making that up to try to scare me," Jacob said, his shaking voice evidence of the fact that, if that was the case, Eric's plan was succeeding.

Eric's response was a nasty smile. "Oh yeah," he said. "Well then, why don't you go in and see." Seeing his brother hesitate he continued, "Come on, if it's not haunted then there's nothing to be afraid of, so go on in."

"No," Jacob said.

"I dare you," Eric replied calling on the time honored tradition by which boys forced each other to do ridiculous things. Seeing Jacob continue to shake his head he added fuel to the fire. "Why not, you scared?"

Jacob looked around the group of older boys and saw the scorn in their eyes. "I'm not scared," he countered weakly. "I just don't want to."

"Yes, you are," Steve broke in. "You're chicken. You're too chicken to go in," he taunted the younger boy.

"I'm not chicken," Jacob cried, but he could see that he'd get no support from any of his brother's friends. Hearing them all laugh and jeer at him, shame and impotent fury overwhelmed his fear and at last he yelled, "Fine, I'll prove it to you." With that announcement he surprised them all by walking toward the old house.

Startled by his brother's sudden bravado, Eric didn't have time to stop Jacob before he started off across the lawn. White-faced he looked over at his best friend. "I didn't think he'd actually do it," he confessed to Steve. "Should we try to stop him?"

"No," Steve snickered, "Let's just see what happens."

"Come on, Steve. If he freaks out or gets hurt or something my parents will kill me." Seeing that his friend wasn't about to do anything to help, Eric looked back at his brother who had nearly reached the porch. "Oh hell," he muttered, "I better go after him." He yelled his brother's name and ran after him catching up just as Jacob reached the top of the porch stairs.

Hearing someone come up behind him Jacob whirled around and then gave a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Eric.

"Come on, Jake," Eric whispered. "Let's go. You don't have to do this."

Pale underneath his freckles, Jacob looked back across the lawn at the crowd of watching boys, "And have them all keep thinking I'm chicken?" he answered. "No, I'm going to go in there."

"Then I'm going with you," his brother said firmly. They approached the front door and with a trembling hand Jacob reached for the handle, only to find that it wouldn't turn.

"There, you tried," Eric said, relieved at the excuse to back out. "That's good enough. Nobody can call you a coward when you couldn't get in."

Jacob started to agree and turn away. He hazarded one final look around the porch before starting down the stairs. That's when he noticed the partially opened window in the far corner of the porch. He caught Eric's arm and pulled his brother to a stop pointing at the window. "We can get in that way," he said.

Eric squinted at the window, it was pretty small and only about half way open. "Maybe you could," he said looking down his little brother, "but I don't think I'd fit. Let's just go." This place was seriously starting to give Eric the creeps. He remembered the chill he'd gotten that morning when Josh told his story in the hall before home room. The other boy had sworn he heard a woman screaming, and from the feeling that was starting to creep up Eric's spine, he suspected that Josh hadn't been making things up.

Clearly Jacob didn't share his apprehension; the younger boy's sense of adventure had started to overcome his initial fears. "So I'll go in the window and come around and open the door for you," he suggested.

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Eric said. "What if something happens once you're inside and I can't get to you?"

"Nothing's going to happen," Jacob said starting towards the window without waiting for his brother's agreement. First he tried to push the window further open in the hopes that Eric would be able to follow him in, but when it didn't budge he decided to go in by himself. Resting his palms on the windowsill Jacob ducked his head and shoulders inside. It took some wriggling, but he was able to squeeze through. He landed hard on his shoulder, but then stood up and brushed himself off. He looked back at his brother through the window and grinned. "I'll go open the door and then we can explore a little," he said.

"We don't need to explore," Eric muttered. "Just get out of there and let's go. You went in; you don't have anything more to prove to anybody."

Jacob just shook his head and started down the hallway. It wasn't often that he got to feel superior to his big brother, but this time Eric was the one who was scared and Jacob was kind of enjoying the situation. That feeling of superiority was wiped away by terror a moment later when he heard the distinctive sound of someone crying.

Jacob couldn't tell where the sound was coming from but he sprinted toward the front door suddenly desperate to get out of the haunted house. He was crying as he scrabbled at the door handle in panic trying to open it without paying attention to the lock. He could hear his brother calling his name from the other side of the door, asking him what was wrong. And from somewhere behind him he could hear a woman's voice calling for help.

He was sobbing with fear and relief when he finally got the door open. Without speaking to Eric he stumbled down the stairs and raced across the lawn, his brother following close behind him. He collapsed on the ground as he reached the group of boys on the other side of the lawn. The boys circled around him watching as Eric knelt beside his brother and tried to find out what had so badly frightened him.

"There was someone in that house," the terrified boy managed to gasp out between hiccupping sobs. "She was crying."

"Did you see her?" Steve asked in horrified fascination.

"No," Jacob whispered, "I only heard her. She was asking for help."

"It's okay," Eric said hugging Jacob and trying to comfort him. "I'm sure you just imagined it."

"I did not imagine her!" Jacob's responded indignantly. "She was there! I heard her crying."

"I'm sure you heard something, but it was probably just the wind," Eric said desperate to calm the younger boy. He looked around at the circle of his friends, none of whom were helping. He was already breaking curfew, if he took his brother home like this he'd be grounded for the rest of his life.

"It was not the wind," Jacob protested, not at all calmed by what he perceived as his brother's lack of sympathy. "It was a woman. She was begging for help."

"Alright, it wasn't the wind," Eric said trying to placate the younger boy. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Jacob sniffed, beginning to calm down. "Help her," he answered.

"Help her?" Eric sputtered. "You want me to help the ghost?" he asked appalled.

His brother nodded; his eyes still liquid with tears and his chin wobbling. Eric sighed, little brothers could be beyond annoying, "How exactly do you want me to do that?" he questioned.

"I don't know," Jacob said pitifully.

Eric became aware of the whispering from the group of boys behind him and turned away from Jacob for a moment to see what was going on. Steve was arguing with two of the other boys about whether or not the 'ghost' was just a product of Jacob's imagination. When he heard the boys start to laugh and call Jake a wuss, Eric got to his feet.

"If Jake said there was someone there, then there was someone there," he declared confidently, ignoring the fact that just a moment ago he himself had declared the voice a product of Jacob's imagination. When they just shook their heads and laughed, he said, "Fine, then we'll all go in and see. If there's nothing there, then that's the end of it." He glanced down at his brother, "And if there's a ghost we'll try to help her."

A few minutes later all of the boys were in agreement, once most had agreed the few holdouts had been forced to agree or be declared cowards, a fate none would risk. Eric put his arm around Jacob. "You don't have to go back in," he suggested quietly. "You went in first and by yourself no one will make fun of you for not going in now."

"No," Jacob said bravely. "I want to go. I want to help her."


	2. Finding Courtney

Chapter Two: Finding Courtney

Officer Lucky Spencer grinned over at his partner Jesse Beaudry as they stepped out of the squad car. "How do you feel about playing Ghost Busters?" he asked. They'd been sent out to an abandoned house on the outskirts of town because a group of kids reported hearing a woman's voice calling for help from inside.

"If this is just a prank," Jesse responded with irritation, "those kids are going to be in serious trouble."

Lucky laughed. "Oh come on, where's your sense of humor?" he asked. Lucky's own amusement died out as he approached the kids and saw real fear on their faces. He scanned the group but didn't recognize any of the kids as known trouble makers. "Okay," he said, "who wants to tell me what's going on here?"

One of the older boys spoke up. He was standing with his arm around the littlest kid - obviously a younger brother, but he released the kid and walked towards Lucky. "There's someone inside," he said bravely. The boy's voice was steady, but a little weak, he was clearly nervous about having called to cops.

"How about you start at the beginning," Lucky suggested. "Who are you? What are you kids doing out here so late?"

The kid swallowed nervously but answered without hesitating. "I'm Eric West," he said, "and that's my brother Jacob." He didn't name any of the others. "We snuck out; it was just supposed to be for fun. We'd heard the house was haunted and just wanted to get a look at it." He looked back at the kid he'd had his arm around. "I was mad at my brother for tagging along," he confessed, "so I dared him to go inside." His voice wavered but he continued, "I didn't think he actually would, but he did. And that's when he heard her."

"Heard who?" Lucky prompted. 

"A woman, she was crying," the boy said. "He freaked out, you know. He was really upset by the time he got out of the house. We," now he glanced around at the other boys, "we didn't really believe him. I just figured that he'd imagined it, you know?" he looked up at Lucky for reassurance, but continued without waiting for a response. "So we decided to go back in, all of us. That way we could prove to him there was nothing there. Only-only there is. There is definitely someone there, but we couldn't get to her because the door was locked." Lucky could see it in the kid's eyes - he sincerely believed every word that he was saying.

He sent Jesse a wry smile over his shoulder, Ghost Busters here we come he thought, and then turned back to the kid, "Can you show us?" he asked.

Leaving Jacob with the other kids Eric started up the porch steps for the third time that evening. This time he was flanked by two police officers. He led them through the front door - that last time they had fled the house without closing it, and down the dark hallway. He stopped outside the last door on the left, but this time he didn't hear anything. "She's in there," he said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Jesse asked. "I don't hear anything."

Eric confirmed it with a nod. "Hello," Lucky called. "Is anybody there?"

They got no answer but, just as Lucky was about to read the kid the riot act for involving the police in his prank, he was startled to hear a weak moan from the other side of the door. He glanced over at Jesse. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

Jesse looked just as shocked at Lucky as he nodded in agreement. "There's somebody in there," he confirmed.

"Hello," Lucky called again. "We're here to help. Just say something so we know you're really there."

He felt Eric shuffle his feet beside him. "She was crying before and talking," the kid said. "I don't know why she stopped."

Lucky tried the door handle but found it locked as the kid had reported. "Should we break in?" he asked looking at Jesse.

When his partner just shrugged uncertainly Lucky made his decision. "If there really _is_ someone in there, she's in trouble. I don't want to risk waiting around for a locksmith to get this door opened." At that Jesse nodded in agreement. Lucky tried the handle one more time, just to be sure, and then he sent Eric outside to wait. He drew a slim black case out of his pocket and removed a couple of silver tools from it. He sent Jesse a wry smile and admitted, "I picked up a thing or two from my father over the years." Crouching down in front of the door, it took only a minute or two for Lucky to pick the lock.

Lucky Spencer had seen a lot of awful things since joining the Port Charles Police Department, but nothing he'd seen had ever shocked him as badly as what he found when he opened that door.

"Oh dear God," he whispered when he saw the small blonde woman handcuffed to a bed in the far corner of the room. She was pale, her eyes closed and her skin clammy, but he was relieved to see from the rise and fall of her chest that she still lived.

"Isn't that -"

Lucky heard Jesse behind him. "Courtney Matthews," he finished for him. "Yes, it is. She disappeared from town four months ago. So did her ex-husband Jasper Jax. We all assumed that they left town together."

"I guess not," Jesse answered. "Who could have done this to her?" he asked.

"I have a better question for you," Lucky said as he approached the bed and got a better look at its occupant. "Courtney was five months pregnant when she disappeared. Where's the baby?"

"Courtney," he called touching her shoulder. "Courtney, it's Lucky. You need to wake up."

Courtney stirred but didn't wake up. Even so, Lucky could hear her mumbling. "Please help me," she said and a moment later, "Please, please I want my baby."

Lucky didn't look at Jesse as he went to rummage through the closets for clean blankets in which to wrap Courtney for the trip to the hospital. "You go back to the car and call it in," he said. "I'll get her loose and then we can take her to the hospital." It only took a moment to free Courtney from her restraints; though that gave Lucky plenty of time to curse the bruising on her slim wrists. Then he lifted her from the bed, wrapping her in clean blankets and leaving the soiled sheets behind, trying hard not to notice the blood that stained them.

Tightening his grip against Courtney started to struggle and moan, unconscious fighting against something, Lucky prayed that he wasn't hurting her any further but continued on out of the house. He saw the kids watching him as he started down the stairs and cursed himself for not sending them home before bringing her out. They had all been traumatized enough by their 'ghost' seeing her in the flesh would probably give them nightmares. He sent Eric a tight smile as he came down the steps and settled her into the back of the patrol car.

Standing up he turned to Jesse. "Someone needs to make sure these kids get home," he said. The look on his face a clear indication who he thought should take on that job.

"Baby-sitting?" Jesse protested. "How about I take her to the hospital and you look after the children?" he suggested.

Lucky leveled a serious look at him. "Sure, but once you get to the hospital you'll be the one who gets to notify her family. How are you and Corinthos getting along these days?" Lucky asked, knowing that Jesse and Sonny had had a confrontation only a few days ago when Jesse had tried to execute a warrant to search one of Sonny's warehouses.

Jesse sighed. "Baby-sitting it is then," he muttered and headed back towards the boys.

Lucky followed him. In the interests of damage control he wanted to speak to the kids one last time before they went home. "Hey, guys," he called. "Everybody listen up."

Once he had everyone's attention he continued. "There are just a few things that I want to get clear before you all go home. First of all, breaking and entering is a bad idea. I don't ever want to hear of any of you breaking into a house ever again." He cast a stern eye over the group. "That said, you all probably saved a woman's life tonight and you can be proud of that. You called the police when you realized that things were beyond your abilities to handle, and that was the right thing to do. Good work, kids." He smiled at all of them, clapped Jesse on the shoulder and headed back to the car.

Settling into the driver's seat, Lucky glanced in the rearview mirror at the still form in the back of the car. "You're going to be okay, Courtney," he promised her. "Somehow, everything's going to be okay." Lucky wasn't sure whether or not he was lying, but he was going to do everything in his power to make it true. To that end he pulled out his cell phone as soon as they were back on the main road. He hit number five on his speed dial and waited for his brother to answer.

"Cassadine," Nikolas answered tersely.

Lucky didn't bother with any of the pleasantries. "Get to hospital as quickly as you can," he said.

"Lucky?" Nikolas asked. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, it's me," Lucky confirmed. "I'm on my way to GH now. I can't explain over the phone okay, just meet me there?"

"Are you hurt?" Nikolas asked, worried. "Is it Liz?"

"No," Lucky replied. "Liz and I are both fine." Lucky glanced again at Courtney's still form, but said simply, "I'll explain when you get there, okay?"


	3. Telling Nikolas

**Chapter Three: Telling Nikolas**

Half an hour later Nikolas Cassadine strode impatiently through the halls of Port Charles General Hospital looking for his brother. When he found Lucky at last he was standing by the nurses' station in the emergency department talking to his wife. "Hey," Nikolas greeted them, "Is everything okay? Why did you call me down here?"

"Nikolas," Lucky's expression was serious as he regarded his brother. "I don't know how to tell you this, but - " Lucky broke off as the doors at the far end of the hall and a worried looking doctor appeared beckoning him over. "I'll be right back," he promised walking away quickly.

Nikolas turned to Liz with an explanation, but she refused to meet his eyes. She'd seen Courtney wheeled in on a gurney unconscious and deathly pale, but Lucky hadn't yet told her how he'd found the woman or what had happened to her. The two of them watched in silence as Lucky carried on a low conversation with the doctor.

Lucky's expression was grim as he returned to Nikolas and Elizabeth. He studied his older brother for a moment before speaking. This time he skipped the preamble. "It's Courtney," Lucky said at last. "She's here."

"Here?" Nikolas asked in shock. "As in _here_? In the hospital?"

Nikolas had been hurt and surprised by Courtney's disappearance – she'd claimed that she loved him and then she'd disappeared without a word. At first he'd been worried about her but when it became apparent that Jax was gone too he'd been forced to accept the fact that she'd left him, gone off to make a life with her ex-husband and their baby. Nikolas hadn't handled the desertion well. And rather than turning to Emily, as Lucky and Liz had hoped and expected he'd turned inward. He focused on business instead of pleasure. He'd embraced his Cassadine heritage deciding that if he couldn't have love at least he could have power. Now, hearing that Courtney had returned to Port Charles, he was badly shaken.

Recovering from his shock after a moment, Nikolas resumed the icy facade that had become his characteristic demeanor. "Why call me?" he asked coldly. "She wanted Jax; let him take care of her."

"Nikolas, wait," Lucky grabbed his brother's arm as Nikolas turned to leave without waiting for an explanation.

Nikolas stopped but didn't turn back to Lucky. He would listen to whatever the other man had to say, but he wouldn't show any weakness now. She had spurned him once; he wasn't going to give her a second chance at his heart.

Then Lucky spoke the only words that could shatter the wall Nikolas had built around his emotions. "Courtney didn't leave," he said. "Not of her own free will anyway." Barely daring to breathe, Nikolas turned around. Arching one eyebrow in silent inquiry he waited for Lucky to continue. "We found her this afternoon. She wasn't conscious but it was pretty clear that she'd been held against her will for some time."

"What – what happened?" Nikolas stuttered scarcely even able to ask the question. He'd been living with his assumptions about her for so long that it would be difficult to shake them.

His uncomprehending gaze met Lucky's sympathetic one and Lucky continued his explanation. Perhaps if he filled in the details, Nikolas would have an easier time accepting it. "She was locked in a room in an abandoned house. She'd been handcuffed to the bed."

Nikolas fought back a sudden wave of nausea. 'What had he done?' He wrapped one arm around his stomach leaning back against the wall and forcing himself to breathe as a nearly overwhelming wave shame and self-loathing swept over him. "Oh, God. I never – I never even looked for her," he murmured. "She was in hell and I didn't look for her because – because my feelings were hurt."

Temporarily forcing his thoughts away from self-recrimination, Nikolas tried to focus on Courtney. She was more important than his guilt. "Is she okay?" he asked, praying that the answer would be yes. After everything that she'd been through, she had to be okay. But Lucky was shaking his head.

"She was unconscious when we found her. The doctor says that she's very weak. She -" Lucky stumbled, searching for a gentle way to tell the most horrifying part of the story, but finally decided on a matter-of-fact approach. "She lost a lot of blood in – when she had the baby. And apparently, no one took care of her afterward. Now she's got a high fever and she's dehydrated - "

"Wait, you said 'she had the baby?' Where is it?" this startled interruption didn't come from Nikolas who was still trying to make sense of the words. He'd been hit with too many shocks too close together, but Liz's shocked question galvanized his scattered wits once more and he looked up in time to see Lucky shake his head in defeat.

"I don't know," he admitted simply. "He, the doctor, he says that Courtney gave birth within the last twenty-four hours, but when we found her there was no sign of the baby. The house was deserted except for Courtney. I can't be sure yet, but I would say that whoever took Courtney was just keeping her until the baby was born. Then they took the baby and left Courtney to die."

Nikolas suddenly found that even the wall he'd been leaning against was insufficient to support him. He slid to the floor, sitting with his head resting on his knees as he struggled to breathe. He looked up at Lucky. "Who would do such a thing?" he asked, appalled. He shut his eyes trying to imagine it, "I mean Jax is a jerk and he wanted the baby, but I can't imagine that he'd – He wouldn't have hurt Courtney." Nikolas shook his head in denial at the thought - Jax had been controlling and manipulative, but he wasn't evil and this was evil, monstrous.

"No," Liz agreed. "Jax wouldn't have done something like this."

Seeing how much pain his brother was already in Lucky didn't dare to voice the suspicions that had plagued him since the moment he'd found Courtney in that house. The last thing that Nikolas needed now was another reason to blame himself. "We don't know yet. Jax is certainly a suspect, the fact that he disappeared at the same time as Courtney does seem suspicious." He saw the disbelief in two sets of eyes and was forced to acknowledge his agreement. "I admit that it doesn't seem like him. Hopefully we'll find some clue in the house that will lead us to the real culprit."

Lucky bent down and took hold of Nikolas's arm, pulling him to his feet. "Why don't you go ask the doctor if you can sit with Courtney?" he suggested. "I have to go tell her family she's been found." He shook his head dreading the confrontation, "Sonny is not going to take this well," he predicted.


	4. At Greystone Manor

**Chapter Four: At Greystone Manor**

Every cop knew that the hardest part of the job was telling the families of victims about what had happened to their loved ones. That took on a whole knew meaning when the victim's family was a man like Sonny Corinthos. There was no easy way to tell someone that his only sister was in the hospital, and even on a good day Sonny wasn't known for the steadiness of his temper.

Lucky took a deep breath and counted to ten before approaching the door of Greystone Manor. He knew that he was already being watched by the guards; he knew that his presence had already been reported to the owner of the house and his reception was unlikely to be pleasant. Son of Luke Spencer or not, cops were not routinely invited into Sonny Corinthos's home. He also knew that Emily was inside and his relationship to his one-time best friend had been strained at best since the beginning of her liaison with Sonny.

Finally, shaking his head he gave in to the inevitable. Sonny had to be told, and it would be best if the news came from him; the situation was going to be bad enough without some other officer coming in here and taking the opportunity to antagonize Sonny.

Watching from the window, Max had begun to wonder whether Spencer was ever going to knock and what could have brought him out here. He was surprised that the officer was by himself, but he took it as a hopeful sign. If Lucky was here alone this visit was unlikely to be about serving a warrant or any of the other routine police harassment that they had to endure. Finally, Spencer seemed to get himself together and Max went to answer the door.

"What can I do for you, Officer Spencer?" Max asked as he held the door opened for Lucky to step into the foyer.

"Is Sonny in?" Lucky asked, pretending that they didn't both know the police surveillance would have already told Lucky if Sonny wasn't there.

"Upstairs," Max answered calmly seeing no reason not to play along.

"Could you," Lucky was about to ask Max to get Sonny when he was interrupted by the sight of Emily on the stairs. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his strength; it had been a hell of a day already and he'd really been hoping to avoid this. "Emily," he greeted her, managing to keep his tone even, but not smiling. When she'd moved in with Sonny he hadn't even pretended to understand or support her choice, and the two of them had fought bitterly.

"Lucky," Emily smiled tremulously. They had been so close for so long; it hurt to see him now, to know that he was angry with her, disappointed in her. Why couldn't he just accept that she was a grown woman and that she got to make her own choices? "Were you looking for me?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he answered steeling himself for the wounded look that was sure to follow his denial. "I need to talk to Sonny."

Hurt by Lucky's dismissal, Emily dropped her eyes before turning away. "I'll tell him you're here," she said quietly, starting back up the stairs.

Lucky sighed, refusing to watch her walk away. Hurting Emily always made him feel like he'd just kicked a puppy. Even after all these years his first instinct was always to shield and protect her; but she'd made that impossible and now it seemed as though the best thing that he could do for her was to stay away.

"Did you come here just to upset Emily, or do you have a warrant?" Sonny's cold voice brought Lucky out of his reverie.

He looked up watching the older man descend the stairs. "Neither," Lucky answered striving for calm. Lucky had known this man since he was child. Sonny had been his father's friend and business partner for years. True things had been strained between them since Lucky joined to force, but of all the officers who weren't on the take his relationship with the mob boss was the closest to cordial. At least it had been before Sonny started seeing Emily. "My being here has nothing to do with Emily," he replied. "And as far as I know there aren't any current warrants out on you."

"Then what are you doing here, Lucky?" Sonny demanded. He walked into the living room, not inviting Lucky but knowing that he would follow. Emily had been nearly in tears when she came to tell him Lucky was here, and seeing her cry put him in a bad temper.

"I'm sorry, Sonny." In light of Sonny's mood Lucky decided to skip the preamble and get straight to the point.

Sonny froze as he heard Lucky's words; bad news then. A cop showed up at your door and said he was sorry the news was always bad. A hundred worst case scenarios flooded through Sonny's mind at that moment. Carly, the boys, Kristina, Mike - who that he loved had been hurt or killed? Who had his life destroyed this time?

"It's about your sister."

'Courtney,' Sonny registered the words but they didn't make any sense. Courtney wasn't even in Port Charles. She was off somewhere with Jax; she was the one he shouldn't have had to worry about. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sonny shook his head fighting to understand what Lucky was saying to him.

"She's alive, but . . ."

'She's alive,' he focused on those words, those were important words. Whatever came next Sonny could handle as long as he could focus on those words.

"But she's in critical condition."

Sonny held up his hand, cutting off Lucky's concise recitation of the facts. "I don't know where this is coming from," he interrupted Lucky. "Courtney left Port Charles. She went off somewhere with Jax. So, how would you know about her condition?" Sonny tried to keep his voice calm, to be reasonable when this wasn't making any sense to him.

Lucky drew in a deep breath; there was no easy way to say this. "Courtney didn't leave Port Charles," he said at last. "We don't know yet what happened to Jax, but we found Courtney." Lucky tried to shut out the pictures that came into his mind when he uttered those words. He knew that for as long as he lived he would never be able to wholly banish those images from his memory. The sight of Courtney, bruised and still bloody from childbirth, tied to that bed would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"She was being held in an abandoned house on the edge of town." If Lucky could get away with giving Sonny only an edited version of the story he would jump at the chance. He didn't want to think about the details himself. "It was clear that she'd been there for some time."

"Four months?" Sonny asked harshly, aware of exactly how long his sister had been absent, how long they had known she was gone, but not realized that she was missing.

"It's possible," Lucky acknowledged. He watched Sonny, noticing the barely perceptible tremor in the other man's hands as he poured himself a glass of scotch. Lucky wished he could join Sonny in the drink, but he was still on-duty.

"Who -" drink in hand Sonny turned back to Lucky. "Who was it?" he asked. "It couldn't have been any of my enemies. If they'd wanted to use my sister as leverage they would have made sure I knew they had her. So who did this? Why take her if not to use her against me?"

Lucky acknowledged the point; he had never really considered that taking Courtney might have been a ploy to get to Sonny, not this time anyway. "We don't know," he said. "Not yet, but as for why . . ." he broke off. This was the hardest part, "the baby's missing."

Sonny looked at Lucky in horror as he heard the last piece of the story. "The doctor says she gave birth within the last twenty-four hours, but when we found he she was alone and the baby was gone."

"Who would take Courtney's baby?" Sonny was appalled. He could clearly remember the pain and fear that had engulfed him when Faith took his kids, and then when Michael . . . His mind automatically shied away from those thoughts, he never thought about those times.

Lucky refused to meet Sonny's eyes. "We don't know," he said quietly. "The house was empty except for Courtney. We've got a team going over it now looking for anything that might tell us what happened, but . . ." he shrugged helplessly, "so far nothing."

"Jax went missing at the same time Courtney did," he acknowledged, "but it seems unlikely that he would do something like this."

Sonny shook his head. He despised Jax always had, but if Candyboy had taken them he wouldn't have left Courtney behind he would have kept both of them.

He studied Lucky for a moment, recognizing the fact Lucky was holding something back. "You do know something Lucky, what aren't you saying?" When the cop shook his head turning away, Sonny grabbed his arm. "She's my sister, Lucky. Tell me what you know."

"I don't know anything," Lucky replied harshly pulling away from Sonny. All he had were vague suspicions, what most people would call typical Spencer paranoia. He could practically hear his father's voice in his ear, 'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.'

"But you suspect someone," Sonny countered

Lucky shut his eyes trying to decide if it was even worth saying - he really hoped he was wrong. "I have unfounded suspicions," he admitted. "There is absolutely no reason to think I'm right." He wanted that point clear from the get go, he wasn't going to be responsible for Sonny flying off the handle. "And maybe it's just my dad's obsession speaking through me, but I am a Spencer, and this . . . this feels like Helena Cassadine." Lucky shivered at the mention of the name.

Lucky shook off the chill that his words had invoked. "There's no point in speculating until after forensics gets back to us, or Courtney wakes up and tells us what happened." He looked at Sonny forcing himself to change the topic, "I'll go to Kelly's and tell Mike if you want to head straight to the hospital," he offered.

Shaking his head Sonny declined the offer. "I'll call and have him meet me there. Better he hears it from me," he said walking out of the room without another word to the officer.

Lucky didn't take offense at Sonny's summary dismissal; all things considered that could have gone much worse.


	5. A Painful Realization

**Chapter Five – A Painful Realization**

Nikolas hesitated outside of the door to Courtney's hospital room. He wanted to see her, was desperate to see her, but he was having trouble making himself open that door. How could he see her now when she had been in hell for months because of him? Nikolas didn't doubt for a moment that Courtney's suffering was his fault. He'd been so angry when she disappeared, left with Jax that he hadn't bothered to consider other options. He had never considered the fact she might not have gone of her own free will, and he'd never looked for her. If he'd looked he could have found her, Nikolas knew that. She would have been with him, safe and happy, but instead she was in hell. Would she ever be able to forgive him?

Believing that knowing the worst would help prepare him for seeing her, Nikolas had forced the doctor to give him a complete description of Courtney's injuries and their likely causes. Knowing didn't make things any easier. She'd been treated fairly well for most of her captivity – whoever held her had valued the baby's health too much to risk injuring it by harming the mother. She was dehydrated but not malnourished, the former was a condition that set in much faster so it was likely that she had been given plenty of nourishment up until the birth. It was obvious, though, that any care for Courtney had ceased at the moment the child was born; no one had even washed away the blood or birth fluids.

Her muscle tone had deteriorated substantially, so she clearly hadn't been permitted to exercise in quite some time – likely she'd been confined to one room for the duration of her captivity. The bruising on her wrists indicated that she had been tied up for quite sometime, Lucky had mentioned handcuffs. One of her wrists was actually fractured – a recent injury. The doctor speculated that Courtney must have been bound throughout her labor - that was the only way he could imagine that she might have thrashed hard enough against her bonds to cause such an injury.

She had a high fever. Puerperal, or childbed, fever was almost never seen anymore but because Courtney had received no after care she had developed a uterine infection which the doctor was attempting to treat with antibiotics. In the meantime, her temperature continued to climb; she was delirious and likely hallucinating, they'd given her a sedative to keep her calm and prevent her from exacerbating her injuries.

As he'd concluded the recitation of his patient's injuries the doctor gave Nikolas an encouraging smile. "It will be a long road," he'd said, "but there's no reason to assume she won't make a full recovery." The words were cold comfort to the man who held himself responsible for Courtney's injuries. As pleased as he was that Courtney would recover, Nikolas couldn't help but believe that if he hadn't given up on her she never would have suffered in the first place.

Now Nikolas rested his forehead against the door to Courtney's room and tried to build the courage to go in. Taking a deep breath he turned the handle and eased the door open.

Pulling a chair closer to the bed, Nikolas tried to take solace in the steady beeping of the monitors that surrounded Courtney instead of allowing himself to become disturbed by the presence of so many tubes and machines. Grasping her less injured hand he brought it to his lips kissing it gently before resting it back on the bed. He laid a gentle hand on her forehead, trying not to flinch at the burning heat of her skin – in her weakened state how could she survive such a high fever?

"I'm here now, my love," Nikolas whispered, kissing her brow. "Please don't leave me. I know that you hurt, you've been through so much, but you have to fight." He sat in silence after that, brushing her hair damp hair off of her sweaty forehead and then taking her hand again, allowing himself to drink in her presence. After so much time spent alone since Courtney's disappearance seeing her again, even in this condition was like being alive again himself. He rested his elbows on the edge of the bed and took comfort in just being close to her, holding her hand.

Nikolas jerked away as Courtney began to stir restlessly. "No," she murmured, brow furrowed in distress as twisted about fighting against invisible restraints. "No, please don't take my baby."

Nikolas reached for the call button on the side of Courtney's bed, intending to ask the doctor to increase her sedation before she hurt herself further, but he froze as he heard the next words out of Courtney's mouth. "Helena," she cried. "Please, please, Helena, give him to me. Give me my son. Let me hold him."

The words struck Nikolas like physical blows and he stood, stumbling away from the bed as he shook his head in mute denial. _No, no Helena couldn't have done this,_ he thought horrified. She was a monster, yes, but if Helena had done this . . . if Helena had done this, then it really was his fault.

Nikolas was the one who had brought Courtney into the Cassadine world. He had taken her into his home, into his heart, into his bed. Helena wouldn't have even known Courtney existed if Nikolas hadn't loved her. And then he'd left her unprotected. He'd known his affection for her would make her a target for Helena, but once they'd learned the baby was Jax's he'd believed the danger had passed.

_The baby_, Nikolas squeezed his eyes shut as the realization came to him. There was only one reason Helena would have gone this far, done all this and taken the child – it must have been his.

One realization after another filtered through his mind and Nikolas was stunned by his grandmother's brilliance, and her depravity. She wanted a Cassadine heir – one that she could mold into a true prince, Stavros's likeness. To keep the child uncorrupted by any of the "weaker" emotions which so disappointed her in Nikolas she would need to insure that Nikolas himself was not a part of the child's life. What better way to keep him from interfering than to convince him there was nothing with which to interfere?

It was Helena, then, who had tampered with the paternity test. She couldn't have simply taken Nikolas's child; she knew him well enough to know that he would never stop searching for them. She would have counted on his losing interest once he believed that Jax was the father. Nikolas remembered now how disappointed she had been when he had insisted on continuing his liaison with Courtney even after the paternity test. She'd said it was because she wanted him to move on to someone who could give him a child, but no . . . it was because he was still in the way.

Once he'd proven that he had no intention of letting Courtney go, Helena had taken more drastic measures. She'd abducted Courtney and made it look like she's left with Jax. Nikolas spared a moment of sympathy for Jax, in order for Helena's plan to work she would have needed to keep him out of the way – his reappearance in Port Charles while Nikolas believed that he was off with Courtney would have made things awkward. For Helena's plan to work Nikolas needed to give up on Courtney and her child; he needed to believe that she had left him by her own choice – and he had. Nikolas had made it all possible by falling for Helena's manipulations once again.

All of her pieces in place Helena could simply sit back and wait for the birth of her heir. Once she had the child, she'd had no more use for Courtney so she'd left her to die.

Only a fortunate mischance had led those children to Courtney before she died alone in that house. That mischance would be Helena's undoing, now that he knew there was no way that Nikolas would leave an innocent child, _his innocent child_, in his grandmother's hands.

Sparing one last glance at Courtney's pale form, Nikolas turned towards the door. He knew what he had to do.


	6. A Decision is Made

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this one. I've been a little distracted lately, but I haven't abandoned the story it just got put on hold for a while.

**Chapter Six**

"It's my partner," Lucky said after he checked the caller id on his ringing cell phone. "He might have some news." He turned aside letting Sonny and Max continue alone towards Courtney's room. He spared a moment to hope that Nikolas wouldn't be there, or if he was that he and Sonny wouldn't get into it while he wasn't there to mediate. They both loved Courtney but Sonny might well blame Nikolas for this, and Nikolas was already doing enough of that himself.

"Tell me you've got something. Tell me you've found something that points to who did this," Lucky asked Jesse hopefully as he answered the phone. _And tell me it wasn't Helena_, he begged silently. _Tell me I don't have to explain to my brother that his psycho grandmother kidnapped and tortured his girlfriend._

Lucky listened in silence as Jesse explained what the CSU team had uncovered in the house: plenty of fingerprints but it would be awhile before they got any results from those, a well stocked kitchen – all gourmet, a nearly empty bottle of prenatal vitamins. There was no computer, no notes, no obvious clues about the identity of the perpetrators. But there was one very significant discovery.

"Are you sure?" Lucky asked again, the news wasn't surprising but he still wasn't ready to believe it.

"Alright," he said after a moment. "Thanks. Keep me posted if – when you . . . I'll have my phone, just call me if there's anything else I need to know." Hanging up the phone with a decisive click Lucky jogged into the hospital. He was surprised to find that he was in time to find Sonny still waiting for the elevator – surely his conversation with Jesse had taken more time than that, he mused.

Lucky and Sonny arrived just in time to see Nikolas leaving Courtney's room. He walked past them without a word, too preoccupied by his own thought to notice either man. Sonny restrained himself to no more than a dirty look at Nikolas before continuing on to his sister's room. Lucky meanwhile turned to follow Nikolas, calling out his brother's name and then chasing after him when he was ignored.

"Nikolas," Lucky caught up to him at the elevator.

"I don't have time to talk about it, Lucky." Nikolas cut him off jabbing the elevator button again in the vain hope that his impatient movement would make the elevator arrive faster. When that didn't work he turned towards the stairs – maybe they wouldn't get him there any sooner, but at least if he took the stairs he'd be moving. He wouldn't have to stand there and wait with nothing more to do than 'talk about it.'

"You have time for this," Lucky disagreed grabbing Nikolas's arm to halt his flight just as the elevator door opened at last.

"Fine," Nikolas conceded as twisting away from Lucky. "We can talk on the way out. I'm in something of a hurry."

"Where are you going?" Lucky stalled, now faced with the moment of truth, he'd seize any opportunity to delay the inevitable.

Nikolas didn't even bother to acknowledge the question. "What's so important?" he asked as he pressed the button for the parking deck.

Lucky sighed but didn't press the issue yet. "I got a call from Jesse, he's still at the scene, and . . ." Lucky hesitated but plunged on – Nikolas needed what they'd found. "There's something you should probably know. There was – they found a body in the basement of the house where Courtney was held."

_That was unexpected._ Nikolas had to force himself to breathe. _A body, alright, there was a body that didn't mean_ . . . "The baby?" an anguished whisper as Nikolas tensed preparing himself for the worst, he was barely able to articulate the question as he prayed that the answer was no. After all that had happened it couldn't be in vain. God wouldn't be cruel enough to make Courtney endure her child's death after everything that she had gone through to bring him into the world.

"What? No, it wasn't the baby," Lucky denied immediately, watching Nikolas's shoulders sag in relief he cursed himself for not realizing that would be his brother's first thought. "It was an adult male, blonde hair approximately and he had clearly been down there some time. We don't have a positive id yet, but credit card and driver's license found with the body suggest -"

"Cut the cop talk Lucky," Nikolas interrupted him impatiently pulling Lucky off the elevator with him leaving the two men standing alone in the semi-darkness of the underground parking deck. He knew where this was going but he needed to hear it for certain. "Just tell me."

"It's Jax," Lucky admitted. "Looks like he's been dead a couple of months at least. Whoever kidnapped Courtney probably took him at the same time, figured if it looked like she left with him no one would look for her." _And she was right_ – the thought was unspoken between them.

Any trace of doubt that Nikolas might have been holding onto disappeared at Lucky's announcement. He realized that part of him had been hoping that against all odds Jax was responsible – that the Australian had lost his mind when he'd lost Courtney, that he'd been desperate to keep his child and so he'd taken them. Nikolas had known that it was a futile hope, this type of atrocity just wasn't in Jax's nature – but it had been better than the alternative that they were left with.

"Whoever kidnapped Courtney," Nikolas repeated bitterly. "Just say it Lucky, '**Helena**.' We both know she was behind this. She took Courtney, she killed Jax, and now she has my child. She has the heir she's always wanted and this one she can raise all by herself. There won't be any Stephan to teach him how to care, to make him 'weak.' She's going to raise my child in my father's image. Unless I stop her."

"We don't know that it was Helena," Lucky protested weakly.

"No?" Nikolas laughed harshly. "Of course it was Helena, no one else is this depraved." He closed his eyes, gathering his strength for the final confirmation. "Courtney's fever is high, she's delirious."

Lucky frowned at the seeming non sequitur but waited for Nikolas to continue. "I was sitting there by her bed and she called out my grandmother's name. 'Please Helena,' even unconscious she was crying, begging, 'Please let me hold my baby.' It was Helena, Lucky, and she's not going to get away with it this time. I won't let that happen." Nikolas turned and walked away.

"Wait. What are you going to do, Nikolas?" Lucky called after him, hoping that he didn't already know the answer.

"What someone should have done a long time ago," Nikolas replied. He stopped but didn't turn around, "What _I_ should have done along time ago."

"You can't go after her alone," Lucky protested. "I'll come with you. Just wait a few days and I'll come with you."

"I can't wait." Nikolas said. "And I don't plan on going alone, but it can't be you, Lucky." Whatever else might come of this, Nikolas refused to involve his brother in his plans.

Nikolas hesitated. "If," he took a deep breath, "When Courtney wakes up tell her that I _will_ be back and I'll have our child with me."


	7. Asking For Help

**Chapter Seven – Asking for Help**

Standing on the steps of the Quartermaine mansion Nikolas steeled himself for an unpleasant but necessary action. He took a deep breath and knocked on the front door.

"Nikolas," Lulu's welcoming smile was radiant but her brother didn't really seem to notice. "I was just on my way out but if you wanted to see me I can stay," she offered. Her eldest brother had been distant for months, their once close bond hadn't been broken but it had suffered along with all his other relationships in the wake of Courtney's desertion – she couldn't remember the last time that he had just come by to visit her.

"No, that's okay, you go and have fun," he answered, giving her arm an absent squeeze in greeting as he stepped into the hallway, clearly preoccupied by other matters. "I'm looking for your dad, is he here?"

Her smile dimming at the casual dismissal, Lulu pointed Nikolas towards the parlor. "Sure, he's in there," she said dully. "So, I – I guess I'll see you later then," Lulu sighed.

At last something about Lulu's demeanor caught Nikolas's attention and he noticed her disappointment. He took a moment to pull her into a one-armed hug. "I'm sorry Lu," he said quietly. "I'm just a little . . . preoccupied right now and I need Luke's help with something. I promise I'll explain later, alright?" he offered her a tired smile and she shrugged off her disappointment long enough to hug him back.

"It's okay," she said forcing a smile – if there was one thing that Leslie Lu Spencer understood it was not being a priority, and Nikolas normally did his best to make time for her. "I really am supposed to meet Georgie and Dillon, anyway."

Lulu watched with some concern as Nikolas stalked off in the direction that she had indicated. The animosity between her father and her half brother had been one of the defining facets of Lulu's childhood; Nikolas had never visited her when Luke was expected to be home, there had been years in which her mother and Lucky and even Lulu herself had carefully avoided mentioning Nikolas in her father's presence. Even now the hostility was apparent whenever they were in each other's presence, so what could Nikolas possibly want Luke with, and what made him think that he would get it? Unable to shrug off her concern and aware of the fact that at times her existence had been the only thing preventing bloodshed between the two of them Lulu stopped just outside of the door ready to listen and intervene if it became necessary.

Nikolas must have heard her following though, because he turned back as soon as he'd entered the room. "We'll be fine, you go see your friends," he said giving Lulu a kiss on the forehead and closing the door in her face.

"Well, hello," Luke said raising his scotch in a mock salute when he saw who'd entered the room. "A visit from the _Cassadine prince_, and to what do I owe this honor?" he inquired, the word Cassadine was, as it had always been, an epithet on his lips and Luke's disdain for his stepson was apparent by the emphasis his placed on it – the boy was never Nikolas to him, he was _that Cassadine_. Luke had been less than impressed with the change in Nikolas's demeanor following Courtney's disappearance. The past few months had been underscored by Luke's perpetual barbs about 'bat junior' and how 'blood will show.'

Refusing to rise to the bait, Nikolas met Luke's eyes and forced himself to do what he'd come here for. He swallowed his pride and spoke the four little words that were the most difficult in the English language. Words a true Cassadine should never utter, especially not to this man, but Helena had left him no choice. "I need your help," he admitted meeting Luke's eyes unflinchingly.

That announcement caught Luke's attention; he sat upright in his seat and set down his drink. "You expect me to help you?" Luke snorted. "Why would I do something like that? You're a bloodsucking Cassadine – I wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire."

"You've always made that very clear," Nikolas murmured, even they both knew it wasn't the whole truth – Nikolas would never forget the sensation of drowning in his own blood or the sound of Luke's voice in the ambulance '_I wouldn't let you fall off the mountains and I wouldn't let you bleed to death_.'

Nikolas's smile had a bitter edge to it now and he moved forward lowering his voice, as he made his pitch. "I'm going to do something you've wanted to do for a long time," he said. "Something you've tried to do more than once but never quite managed."

"Well, I can't wait to hear this," Luke chuckled, aware of the fact that he was being baited but unable to resist. "What is it you've got planned, Nikky?"

"I'm going to kill my grandmother, and I'm going to let you help," Nikolas wasn't smiling any longer – his face and voice were deadly serious.

Upon hearing Nikolas's answer, Luke laughed out loud. "You're going to kill Helena?" he sputtered. "After all these years, you think that you're the one who's finally going to manage it. What's the old girl done to get on your bad side this time?"

"Does it matter?" Nikolas asked simply. "I have my reasons and so do you. Does it really matter what they are so long as we get the job done?"

"It matters," Luke's voice took on a hard edge his gaze intent on Nikolas as he evaluated the younger man. "If you want my help, you're going to have to tell me why. I want to be damn sure that you're going to follow through. Don't want to get down to the moment of truth just to have to talk you through an attack of conscience or a sudden feeling of family loyalty."

"My conscience is not going to be a problem," Nikolas promised lifting his eyes to meet Luke's gaze, he had never looked more like a Cassadine than he did in that moment. He paused hoping that that would be enough, but he could read in Luke's face that it would not – Luke wanted a reason, so Nikolas forced himself to continue. "Helena . . . has my son. I have to get him back, and I have to keep him safe. I don't see any other way, this time she has to stay dead."

Luke's expression was unreadable as he studied Nikolas. "Since when do you have a kid?" he asked after a moment. "This is the first I've heard of it." Surely he would have heard if there was another Cassadine running around.

Needing a moment to gather his strength for his next revelation Nikolas moved over to the sideboard and poured himself a generous serving of Edward's scotch. He had to fight to keep his hand from trembling as he brought the glass to his lips, but the slow burn of the alcohol soothed his nerved and he continued.

"Courtney," Nikolas paused taking a deep breath as he suppressed the sudden wave of guilt, "Courtney was pregnant when she disappeared."

"Pregnant with _Jax's_ child," Luke took a malicious delight in emphasizing the name of Nikolas's rival. "And she left town to be with him." Either Nikky-boy had gone delusional or – or Helena was up to her old tricks.

"That's what we all thought," Nikolas acknowledged, "Until Lucky found Courtney this afternoon. It seems as though Jax has been dead for months. Courtney's been taken to General Hospital and the baby is missing."

"And you just assume that Helena's behind it and that the child's yours?" It seemed like a reasonable assumption to Luke but he wanted to hear Nikolas's reasoning, and something told him that Nikolas needed to talk about it.

"I didn't know what to think, not at first. But then I was sitting with Courtney and I heard her call out to Helena and it all made sense. She did it all: engineered the DNA test, kidnapped Courtney, killed Jax . . . All of it to get the baby. To ensure that she would be the one to raise the new Cassadine heir."

"It makes sense," he continued, "And it's not as though this is the first time my grandmother has kidnapped of someone, taken someone's child." Nikolas sent his one time step-father a hard look as they both remembered the long year in which they had all believed that Lucky was dead only to discover that he'd been taken and brain washed by Helena. "But I can damn well guarantee that this will be the last time."

"I will do whatever it takes to get my son back and to keep him safe," Nikolas swore. "I will do anything. I will kill anyone."

It happened occasionally, and Luke hated to admit it, but every once in awhile something to boy did would remind Luke of Laura. This was one of those moments. Something in his tone and in his eyes brought to mind a desperate declaration that Laura had made so many years ago, a declaration that should have warned him of what was to come. '_The time has come for both of us to stop hoping and praying and do what we have to do. Waiting patiently with our names on a list is just not working. Maybe I should be ashamed to say this but I will do anything. I will hurt anyone. I will sell my soul to the devil before I will stand here and watch my daughter die.'_

It was that reminder more than anything that made up Luke's mind. Laura's desperation had brought the Cassadines back into their lives, now it looked as though her son's might finally to rid them of the queen viper – and Luke was going to be there to see it happen. But he wasn't doing the kid any favors.


	8. A Homecoming

**Chapter Eight**

"Master Nikolas, we weren't expecting you," the elderly servant bowed as he opened the front door to admit his prince. Expected or not, the Cassadine home in Greece was always held ready for Nikolas's presence.

"I know," Nikolas replied calmly as he stepped into the entrance hall. "That's because I'm not here," he gave the man a significant look. "Neither I nor my . . . companion." Nikolas cast an ironic glance towards Luke. "Are we understood?"

"Of course, sir." After serving three generations of Cassadine princes, Yanni knew better than to ask questions.

"Is my grandmother in residence?" Nikolas asked casually as he handed his coat to another waiting servant.

"She's upstairs, sir. Shall I tell her you've arrived?" Yanni asked.

"No." Yanni forced himself not to flinch as the ruthless edge to Nikolas's smile brought to mind his father's customary expression – Prince Stavros had been a difficult master. "I prefer to _surprise_ her."

Nikolas drew a deep breath preparing himself, "and the child?" he asked forcing his voice to remain steady, controlled – he was a Cassadine. If he was to defeat his grandmother, wrest control from her and get all of them off this godforsaken island alive then he must never let anyone forget that. He had to prove to everyone that he was **the Cassadine**.

"He's in the nursery in the west wing, sir. His nurse is with him now." Yanni hesitated, "you have a beautiful son, my prince," he said at last.

Nikolas nodded once, acknowledging the comment but unsure of his ability to respond without betraying himself. He'd believed – known – that Helena had his child, but hearing the confirmation from someone else's lips made the truth suddenly, painfully real. The ache he'd felt when the last of his doubts were wiped away by the knowledge of Jax's death was nothing compared to the burning rage brought about by the servant's casual mention of his son.

After a long moment he spoke again. "I'm sure you're tired, Yanni, I suggest you retire for the evening," his tone made it clear that no matter how polite the phrasing his words were intended as an order.

"Of course, sir," Yanni understood the unspoken command. "I will ensure that you are not disturbed." He promised bowing deeply to Nikolas before he turned to go.

"And Yanni?" Nikolas's voice froze the servant in his tracks and he turned back towards the prince to await further orders. "Make sure that those of the staff who are aware of my arrival know better than to speak of it."

"Of course, sir," the old man agreed. "You were never here."

"You sure this is wise?" Standing just inside the closed door Luke finally broke his silence. "Letting people know you're here is kinda risky, given your plans."

"No one in this household will report our presence," Nikolas promised. "All of the servants here have been with the Cassadine family for generations."

"Family loyalty has its limits," Luke observed. "It only takes one to blow our alibi right outta the water."

"It's not affection that keeps my people loyal, Luke. It's fear. They know the cost of betraying the Cassadine family – the cost to themselves and their families. I assure you everyone on this island is far more afraid of me than they are of the authorities. No one will mention our being here."

"You've been gone a long time, things change."

"I am The Cassadine. When Helena's body is discovered in the morning any doubts about my position in the family will be eliminated. No one will risk betraying me."

* * *

Carly gave Mike's arm a gentle squeeze as she slipped past him into Courtney's hospital room. It had been two days since Lucky brought Courtney in and she had yet to regain consciousness, but the family had worked out a schedule to ensure that she would never be left alone. Given the harrowing experiences she had suffered they didn't want her to wake up by herself, but so far she'd given no sign of waking up.

"You're looking a lot better," Carly forced a smile as she surveyed her friend's still form. Despite the pallor that still clung to Courtney's cheeks the appraisal was true. She was pale and still painfully thin, but her face had lost the flush of fever and the she no longer thrashed or cried out with delirium. She appeared to be sleeping.

Sinking into the chair that Mike had just vacated by Courtney's bed she leaned over and adjusted the framed pictures that she'd set up on the bed side table. "So, it's about time for you to wake up," she suggested picking up Courtney's uninjured hand and squeezing it gently. There were a hundred things that she wanted to say to Courtney, to tell her about, but now just didn't seem like the time to vent about Sonny's relationship with Emily or her own conflicted feelings about her ex-husband.

"How about you give me a hint here?" she asked. "What am I supposed to say, what are the magic words that will wake you up? Hmm . . . if I start telling you about some crazy plan, is there any chance that you will wake up just to tell me to shut up? Because if there is I'm sure that I can think of something." After rambling on for a few minutes more Carly lapsed into silence content for the moment to just sit there and keep Courtney company.

A few hours later Carly was gathering up her things and getting ready to go when her attention was captured by a distressed sound from the bed. "Courtney?" she gasped out the question in response to the pained moan, looking over at the bed in time to meet a pair of blue eyes.

"Oh God, you're awake." Carly dropped her purse and rushed to her friend's side. Perching on the edge of the bed she reached over to touch Courtney's cheek with a trembling hand. "You're really awake. Say something," she pleaded. "Say something to prove that this isn't just wishful thinking."

"Hey Carly," Courtney's voice was hoarse from disuse but she forced herself to speak if only to quiet Carly's babbling.

"Oh God, you really are awake – I'm going . . . I'm just going to go get the doctor you and I'll just I'll be right back but you – you don't even think about closing your eyes again, ok? You're awake and you're going to stay awake and I'm going to get your doctor and I'll just – I'll be right back." Carly was already yelling for the nurse before she'd opened the door.

It was a less joyful sight that greeted Carly's eyes when she returned a moment later with the doctor. Courtney was still awake but tears streamed down her face and her good hand was pressed to her mouth as she tried to stifle her sobs. "Where's my baby?" she asked urgently. "Where is he? Carly," she pleaded with the other woman. "Carly, where's my baby?"

"I'm so sorry," Carly answered, her own heartbreaking as she had to give tell Courtney the news. "You were alone when the police found you; there was no sign of the baby." The doctor forgotten she perched on the edge of Courtney's bed and pulled the younger woman into her arms. "I'm sure that he's alright," she whispered trying to comfort Courtney. "We're pretty sure that Helena has him and if nothing else we can be sure that he'll be safe with her until we can get him back to you."

"No!" Courtney protested. "She can't have him. Helena can't have my baby."

"She won't," Carly promised, "she won't get away with this. Now that we know what happened, no one will stop looking until your son is back in your arms."

Carly sent the doctor a helpless look as her attempts to soothe her friend proved ineffective. Courtney's fear of Helena and the ache in her heart at the loss of her child was compounded by the memory of waking up in another hospital and learning that she would never get to hold her child in her arms, and tears continued to stream down her face even as the doctor's sedative kicked in forcing her back into a restless sleep.

* * *

Mara had just laid the little prince down for the night and was straightening the room before she went to seek her own bed when she heard the nursery door open. Her hands faltered only briefly as she set aside her task and rose to her feet keeping her eyes down and maintaining a deliberately neutral expression on her face. Madame frequently stopped by the nursery unannounced to check on her great-grandson's wellbeing and Mara had quickly learned to hide while in her presence. Madame's face was not the one that met her eyes when she finally dared to glance up, however. She was instead greeted by a pair of dark eyes and grim visage of an unfamiliar man.

"Do you know who I am?" Nikolas asked as he stepped into the nursery. It took an act of will to keep his eyes focused on the girl before him rather than letting them stray to the cradle where the baby slept, however he was conscious of the need to deal with the possible threat before he could see to his son.

"No," the girl's voice cracked as she backed away from him, her nervous gaze wandered to the cradle as she tried to think how she would protect the sleeping babe from this intruder. "Please sir, I don't know what your trouble is with the family or how you came to be here, but he's just a baby – please don't hurt him."

"Hurt him?" Nikolas's eye widened as he heard her plea. "I certainly have no intention of harming him. That child is the only person under this roof who is no danger from me this night." His eyes burned into those of his son's nursemaid. "I am Prince Nikolas Cassadine," he introduced himself, "and I am here for my son."

"Prince Cassadine," Mara gasped tearing her eyes away from his face as she fought the urge to sink to her knees. "Madame did not tell me you were to be here."

"Madame did not know," Nikolas said simply. "I will go to her shortly, but I wanted to see my son first." Certain now that the girl was no threat, Nikolas turned away from her and approached the cradle taking in his first view of his son.

"He is well?" Nikolas voiced the question as he reached down and brushed a trembling his hand against the wisps of dark hair that covered his little head.

"Stavros is very healthy, your highness," Mara assured him.

"Stavros?" Nikolas restrained the urge to shout because he did not wish to wake his son, but loathing nevertheless colored his voice as he repeated the name. "Is that what she has been calling him?" He shook his head in anger, "That won't do at all. No little one, that's not your name. I don't know what to call you, but your mother will find a better name for you once we get home; she will be so pleased to see you."

Tearing his eyes away from his son Nikolas turned back towards the nurse, his face once more closed and his dark eyes hostile. "I have to go see to my grandmother," he told calmly her. "I will return once she is taken care of and my son will be here when I do."

"Of course, sir."

Mara answered too quickly, whether from nervousness or deception Nikolas could not be certain. He decided to clarify her situation just to be sure she did not attempt anything foolish. "I don't know what instructions my grandmother may have given you for this circumstance, but I am giving you this one warning. You and my son will be in this room when I return or you will not have a chance to regret your betrayal. Am I understood?"

"I understand," she whispered. "We will be here."


	9. Confrontations

**Chapter Nine – Confrontations**

The second time Courtney opened her eyes it was to meet her brother's brooding gaze; Sonny managed a reassuring smile when he found her looking at him but she could see the darkness in his eyes. Catching Courtney's hand he gave it a gentle squeeze as he spoke. "Good morning," he said simply. "Finally decided to wake up again, huh?"

Courtney didn't say anything, too caught up in the need to push back a fresh wave of tears – _yes, her brother was here, but where was her baby, where was Nikolas?_

"Hey," Sonny's voice was filled with concern as he leaned closer. "You okay? You want me to get a doctor?" he asked nervously.

"No, I don't want a doctor, I want . . ." the tears spilled out of blue eyes as she broke off – she wanted her son.

"Christ," Sonny muttered as he sat down on the edge of the bed and gathered her into his arms hoping to comfort her as best he could, he was never any good with crying women. "It's gonna be alright," he promised her. "I know it hurts, I know it hurts more than anything in the world," Sonny spoke from painful experience remembering the hell he, Carly and Alexis had gone through when Faith Roscoe kidnapped the kids, and later when they believed that Michael was dead, "but it's gonna be alright. We'll get him back. You will get your son back Courtney. You need to believe that, you need to hold onto that – it's gonna be okay."

It took a few minutes more, but between Sonny's words and the lingering sedative, Courtney was able to calm down and dry her tears. They sat in silence for awhile longer, taking comfort in each other as they had never been able to do before.

At last Sonny could no longer put off his confession, "I'm sorry. God, Courtney, I'm sorry, I didn't look for you." Since the moment Lucky had told him that they'd found Courtney, Sonny had been haunted by guilt – she was his little sister and he had tried to protect her since the moment he learned of her existence but he had failed her – again.

"It's not your fault," Courtney whispered the appropriate words, knowing that there was nothing to be gained by putting the blame on Sonny. "Helena –"

"It **is** my fault," Sonny disagreed, pulling back from her abruptly and pacing across the room. "I should have known that something was wrong. You were gone for months without a word to anyone – that isn't like you. I should have known that something had happened. When you didn't call or write or email or anything – God, how could I not look for you?"

"Sonny," Courtney waited until he looked over at her before she continued. Holding his gaze steadily she kept her voice firm, "You didn't know." She held up a hand to ward off his objections. "You really couldn't have known – I did plan to leave on my own, you had no way of knowing that Helena took me before I had the chance. I mean, Nikolas knows his grandmother better than anyone and he had no idea." Courtney sighed, "We all thought the baby was Jax's; there was no reason to suspect that Helena would have any interest in me."

"You went for four months without calling anyone, not even Carly or Mike, not even to check on the boys – I should have known something was wrong."

"Yes, you should have," this time the words slipped out uncensored before Courtney could stop them and when she saw Sonny flinch at hearing them she was immediately swamped with guilt, and a twinge of satisfaction. Courtney was ashamed of that part of herself that took a little pleasure in brother's guilt, but she when she thought of how she had spent the last several months praying for rescue only to find out that no one had even tried to find her, . . When Helena had made her write that letter to Nikolas telling him that she had picked Jax and then Jax had been killed, Courtney had known Nikolas wouldn't come looking for her but she had still clung to the belief that her brother would find her, that it might take awhile but he would save her. And now to learn that he hadn't even been looking, that her absence was so inconsequential to him that he had never even noticed something was wrong, perhaps it was petty but part of her was angry. If he'd looked for her, if he'd cared her son might be in her arms right now.

"You should have known," Courtney repeated slowly forcing herself to move past the hurt and anger, because there was one thing that was far more important than her sense of betrayal. "But that's over. I'm home, I'm safe and you can either sit there and feel guilty about the past or go out and do something to help. You should have known but you didn't, well now you know, Sonny. You know that Helena has my son; you can help me get him back. She's . . . she's a monster, Sonny. We can't just leave an innocent baby in her hands."

Sonny was facing the wall, his fists clenched as he heard the accusation in his sister's voice, and then the plea. Yes, he'd failed her, but she was willing to forgive – he could make it up to her, he turned back towards her. "I've got people looking for Helena all over the world. She's dead the minute she surfaces and your baby will be back with you where he belongs," he assured her. "But I gotta tell ya, chances of my people finding Helena before Nikolas does are pretty slim. He and Luke Spencer took off to parts unknown before I even knew that Helena was the one who had done this. And I don't know about _Cassadine_," Sonny could help but sneer as he repeated the name, "but if anyone can handle Helena, it's Luke. He's done it before; I'm sure that he'll manage it this time too."

* * *

"_Why take me on this little adventure?" Luke had asked as he and Nikolas strapped themselves in and waited for take off. "Sounds like you plan to do all the heavy lifting yourself."_

"_I'll be the one to kill Helena," Nikolas confirmed, "but I need someone to watch my back." _

"_Your brother could have handled that, and he actually wants to keep you alive. Why not take him?" _

"_It needed to be someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill," Nikolas let the words, the reminder, hang in the air between them for a moment – they both knew that Luke was willing to kill when pushed – Stefan, Stavros, Mikkos, the Cassadine family had died one by one to prove that Luke Spencer would kill. "I have an heir now; my life is no longer sacrosanct and if she believes I am a threat to her plans Helena will not hesitate to kill me. I want to be sure that no matter what happens to me, Helena dies too. I know you'll see it done." _

"_Lucky's been a police officer for a long time now," Nikolas continued, "law and order and all that. I doubt he has the stomach for murder. Even if he does," Nikolas sighed, "I don't want to be the one to make my brother find that in himself."_

"_You sure have the stomach for it?" Luke challenged him._

"_I'm a Cassadine."_

"You ready for this?" Luke asked Nikolas one last time as they paused outside the closed door of Helena's parlor.

"My whole life has been building up to this moment. I'm ready."

Nikolas pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Helena looked up as she heard the door open, preparing to chastise whichever of the servants had dared to disturb her, to enter her presence uninvited.

"Hello grandmother."

"Nikolas," she hid her shock well, rising to her feet and stepping towards him as if in greeting while she triggered the silent alarm that would summon her personal guard. "My darling boy I wasn't expecting you. What brings you to Greece this time of year, and without giving me a chance to prepare for your visit?" _and to threaten the servants into silence and move the child into hiding, _she finished silently as she spread her arms in anticipation of his embrace.

Nikolas kept his distance. "I'm here in answer to your summons," he answered with a slight smile.

"Summons?" Helena repeated the word in confusion as she dropped her arms. "It sounds as though someone is playing a game with you, my boy. I sent no summons. Not that I'm not always happy to see you, of course."

"No, the call could not have been clearer," Nikolas replied his smile slipping away as his expression turned cold. "What else could you have meant by kidnapping my son than an invitation for me to follow and reclaim him? And here I am, as requested." Nikolas drew the revolver from his pocket and trained it on Helena. Trusting Luke to handle whatever surprises Helena might have planned, Nikolas did not flinch as he heard the sounds of a scuffle in the hallway behind him, and the gun in his hand did not waiver for a moment.

"You will, I am sure, be pleased to know that Courtney was found still alive and that her doctor's expect her to make a complete recovery," he continued taking pleasure in the flash of rage he saw in Helena's eyes. "She and I will raise our son together and he will never know that you ever existed. We will never mention your name. He will be the next Cassadine Prince, grandmother, but he will be the type of prince that Stefan always hoped I would become. He will be raised with love and hope and joy, and the darkness that you brought into my life will never touch him."

"Nikolas, the boy is my great-grandson, you can't expect me to just accept being cut out of his life, to standby and watch as you turn that precious child into the sort of sniveling weakling your uncle Stefan was, the kind he tried to turn you into," Helena protested, confident that her servant would burst into the room any moment and disarm Nikolas. It would pain her to have to kill him, but after this scene it was clear that there was no choice, she was trying to bring strength and glory back to the Cassadine name, sacrifices would have to be made. "No," she continued, "I will raise Stavros myself and he will become the prince he is destined to be, the kind of prince your father would have become if he'd never met your whore of a mother."

"And I can't let that happen," Nikolas answered raising the gun and cocking the hammer. "So you're going to have to die."

"You're not going to kill me," Helena laughed, that was Stefan's weakness in Nikolas, that wouldn't allow him even to kill his enemies. "My darling boy, didn't you learn anything from that last little mix-up when you pushed me off the cliff to save dear Emily? Why you wound up in prison and what did it gain you?"

"I learn from my mistakes, grandmother. This time I'm going to make sure you're dead." Nikolas fired twice. "I used silver bullets."


	10. Bloodstains

**Chapter Ten – Bloodstains**

Hearing the sound of gunshots coming from the closed door behind him Luke glared at the prone form of the bodyguard at his feet. "Looks like Nikky started the party without me," he muttered giving the unconscious form another kick for good measure. "Let's just hope the bullets wound up in the right Cassadine," he added as he turned toward the parlor door. Luke winced as he heard his own words and realized that he had just implied there could be a _right_ Cassadine.

Preparing for the worst Luke re-checked the clip in his pistol before pushing open the door. He was pleasantly surprised to find that Helena was not the Cassadine who'd been left standing. In fact, neither of the Cassadines were standing; Nikolas was kneeling over his grandmother's body.

"Bit late for second thoughts," Luke commented as he watched the younger man check Helena's pulse.

"No second thoughts." Nikolas looked up at Luke from his position on the floor. "I'm just not taking any chances this time; I wanted to feel the moment when her heart stopped beating, make sure that no one would be able to revive her after we've left." Helena had been presumed dead or been on the brink of death too many times for Nikolas to trust what his eyes were telling him. Yes, he'd shot Helena, he'd seen the bullets enter her body and he'd watched her fall, but then not so long very long ago he had watched her fall off of a cliff into the water only to reappear months later after he had already been convicted of her murder. His own father had been pronounced dead at General Hospital only to be resurrected after years of cryogenic sleep. This time Nikolas would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was dead and that she was staying that way. So he waited there by her side for her breathing and her heartbeat to stop.

"I never figured Helena for actually having a heart," Luke pointed out as he watched Nikolas watch his grandmother.

"No, I suppose not," Nikolas agreed as he thought back over all of the things she had done, all of the lives that she had ruined – his own among them despite her constant proclamations of devotion. "But whatever it was that pumped the blood through her veins is doing so no longer." Satisfied that the job was truly done, Nikolas rose to his feet wiping his damp hands on the legs of his pants.

Observing the bloody trails that his action left behind Nikolas brought his hands up to eye level. "I have blood on my hands," the observation sounded curiously detached to Nikolas's ears. He would have expected more . . . some greater reaction from within himself on being confronted by so visible a symbol of his crime.

"Not just your hands," Luke answered knowingly. His first kill had a way of staining a man's soul long after any physical traces were gone. There was no coming back from an act like this.

Pulling together his scattered wits Nikolas brushed off Luke's response – he had not expected to come away from this unscathed and let his hands fall to his sides. Retrieving the gun from where he had dropped it and stowing it in his pocket he turning to Luke. "I'm sure there are things that need to be said. You've been fighting this war since before I was born." He moved towards the door. "I will leave you to your goodbyes."

Luke watched Nikolas go, shaking his head at the eerie calm that seemed to have enveloped the boy since before they even left Port Charles. Luke was caught by surprise when Nikolas paused just before leaving the room, he didn't turn around but Luke was still able to hear the quiet voice clearly.

"Thank you," Nikolas said simply. "Thank you for helping me to finish this." He didn't wait for a response, just stepped over the body of the unconscious guard and walked out into the hallway without looking back.

Shaking his head, Luke turned his attention to Helena. "That one's got a few screws loose," he commented as he crouched down beside the body, carefully keeping his feet just beyond the path of the pooling bloodstain that spread out from beneath Helena's torso. "But I guess he managed to get one thing right." Luke rocked back on his heels and smirked into Helena's staring eyes. "This is a good look for you, Hells. It's one I've been wanting to see for a long time. 'Course, I always figured I'd be the one to finally bring this look into your eyes."

"Fitting I guess that after all these years it was your precious prince who finally brought you to this. I honestly didn't think that Nikky-boy had the stomach for it. Oh he was motivated all right – your taking the kid, leaving the girl for dead, well that pushed all of his buttons, pissed him off but good. But I didn't figure he'd be able to take it this far. Thought he'd get here and decide that taking back the kid was enough, con himself into believing that the fact you were his blood ought to make some kind of a difference. That's why I came along you know, figured somebody ought to be here who was willing to get his hands dirty. Guess I was wrong about him, guess you bring out the worst in people, or maybe it's the best. It's been a long time coming, but you finally got what you deserved."

Luke leaned closer pressing a kiss to Helena's rapidly cooling cheek. "I'll see you in Hell, darlin'. I'm sure you'll be keeping the place warm for me. Until then wish I could say you'd be missed, but I'd be lying."

* * *

The nursery door opening without warning for the second time that night caused the young nanny to start out of her chair one hand pressed to her chest in fear. When she caught sight of the Cassadine prince she had to stifle the urge to scream. Gone was the courteous but vaguely sinister presence of earlier this evening, in his place had returned a demon from hell, stained with blood and smelling of gun-powder. Nikolas Cassadine reeked of darkness and barely leashed violence, bringing to mind the horror stories other household servants had told of his father and grandfather. 

"It's good that you're still here," Nikolas's neutral voice didn't betray his surprise that she had made no attempt to flee in spite of his warnings; Helena's minions were usually more steadfast than that. "But you should go now. Go on to bed; Yanni will have instructions for you in the morning."

Mara hesitated for just a moment, her gaze wavering between the door, where she longed to flee, and the crib where her charge lay sleeping. Mustering all of her courage Mara stepped forward to raise a tentative objection. "I would prefer to stay with him," she said softly stepping towards the crib.

Nikolas's malevolent glare, however, quickly sent her tripping backwards and she watched in trepidation as he approached the crib. "Go," he repeated turning to look at her from his position beside the sleeping child. "I wish to be alone with my son."

Fearing more for her own life than for the safety of her charge, Mara fled the nursery without a backward glance. The stories she told the next morning would go along way towards ensuring the silence of the household. Servants who remembered Nikolas only as a child would be told that he had grown into the Cassadine mold and was not to be challenged.

When the door closed behind her Nikolas turned at last to the baby.

_Who would bind us the way you bind us now? Only you have the compassion and the grace, the intelligence and the training._

"The bright young hope of the Cassadines." Nikolas looked down at his son with tired eyes. "That's what my uncle called me. I was supposed to be the one to lead the family in a new direction, to lead with grace and compassion, to bring us into the modern world. But now there is blood on my hands, family blood, my grandmother's blood, and I don't know whether Stefan would be disappointed or proud."

From the moment he had heard his grandmother's name on Courtney's lips Nikolas had gone cold. He had known what he had to do, but he hadn't allowed himself to think beyond this moment, beyond Helena's death. "I'm not proud of what I did," he told his son. "And I took no pleasure in her death. I did what was necessary." How often had Nikolas heard that word on Stefan's lips?

_I did only what was necessary to keep you safe_, Stefan had said after each of the acts Nikolas had believed he would not be able to forgive. For the first time in his life Nikolas was truly able to understand what had driven his uncle to such depths.

"I did only what was necessary to keep you safe," Nikolas repeated his uncle's words to the sleeping child and he knew that he wasn't offering a justification or an excuse, merely the truth, a truth he hoped that his son would never have to understand.

"Pain, violence, blood and death – that is the legacy the Cassadine family passed down to me. And despite Stefan's best efforts I have been unable to escape it. You will have to be our hope now."

"I'm sorry to lay so heavy a burden on you, my son. But I can promise that I will be there to help you shoulder it. You will have all of the love and support that I and," Nikolas stumbled slightly on the words, "and your mother can give you."

Ignoring the blood that still stained his hands, Nikolas scooped up his infant son at last. "We're going home," he said simply.


	11. A New Understanding

**Chapter Eleven - A New Understanding**

Still tired, but too restless to sleep Courtney flipped endlessly through the channels on the television across from her hospital bed and tried not to think about her baby out there somewhere . . . alone, no . . . worse than alone, in Helena's clutches, an innocent child with no one to protect him from a psychopath.

"Is there any news?" The question came automatically no matter who entered her room, but died on her lips as Courtney recognized Lucky Spencer in the doorway. "Oh, it's you, here to take my statement, Officer Spencer?" she asked bitterly. Perhaps her anger was irrational, especially since she'd been told Lucky was the one who found her, but before Helena abducted her Lucky had been doing everything in his power to undermine her relationship with Nikolas and part of her blamed him for the fact that Nikolas had so easily accepted her disappearance.

"No," Lucky ignored her frosty tone and pulled a chair up to Courtney's bedside. "I'm not officially involved with this case. Given my relationship with Nikolas and my family history, the Commissioner was concerned about ability to remain professional in this case."

"Then why are you here?" Courtney asked not bothering to look up from her perusal of the lint pills on her blanket.

"I just . . ." Lucky hesitated, wishing this wasn't so awkward. "I wanted to know how you were doing," he admitted at last.

"Why?" Courtney repeated the question, the distrust clear in her eyes. "We're not friends; I'm a home-wrecking slut, remember? I just got what I deserved, isn't that what you think?"

"No," Lucky's denial was immediate and vehement, but Courtney barely heard it.

"Yes, it is," she hissed. "You wanted me out of the way so that Nikolas would get back together with your precious Emily; well I'm sorry that things didn't work out to your satisfaction."

"No!" Lucky's voice rose and he grabbed her hands to get her attention. "I never wanted this; no one deserves what happened to you."

"No," just like that Courtney's rage died away and was replaced by the weariness and depression that had plagued her ever since she regained consciousness. "No one deserves this." Pulling away from him and wrapping the blanket around her shoulder Courtney turned her back to Lucky so that he couldn't see her tears. "Would you just go away?" she asked at last. "Just leave me alone?"

"I can't do that," Lucky answered softly. "We don't really know each other, but we're kind of family now, so I want to do whatever I can to help you. And you probably don't want to hear this, but the truth is I understand what you went through probably better than anyone alive, well anyone alive and sane," he amended thinking of his mother.

"Don't you dare say you understand what I went through!" Courtney turned back to glare at him. "I was held prisoner for months by that psychotic bitch, until she finally stole my baby and left me for dead. You have no idea what I've been through."

Lucky's instinctive reaction to Courtney's outburst was to apologize and leave her alone to calm down, but after a moment of thought he checked the impulse and instead offered an explanation. "I'm sure you know about what Helena did to my mother, but there is something else that you probably don't know," he said.

"Helena kidnapped me as well. It was a long time ago; it was years ago, when I was little more than a kid. She made it look like I was dead so for a long time my parents didn't even look for me." Lucky took a deep breath looking down at his hands so he didn't have to see the expression of shock and sympathy on Courtney's face. He made it a point not to discuss this with anyone precisely because he hated seeing that expression, but he figured that if hearing about his experience with Helena could help Courtney deal with her own then he owed it to her to try.

"She spent nearly a year . . . conditioning me," he looked over at her, "brainwashing," he explained his mouth twisting bitterly around the words. "When she eventually let me go, let me be 'rescued,' it was actually a trap. I was supposed to kill my dad for her and I very nearly did." To this day the memory of how close he came still haunted Lucky and he broke off for a moment as he fought for control of his emotions. "It took a long time for my family – for me - to get past what Helena did to me, but we did get past it."

There was a long moment of silence as, with Lucky's story hanging in the air between them, Lucky and Courtney both tried to come to terms with their memories. "I know it's not the same," he said at last as he rose to his feet. "And I know hearing about my history can't make what you're facing any easier, but I guess I just thought it might help you to know that I do have an idea of where you're coming from and that you're not totally alone in this."

"Lucky?" Courtney's voice stopped him at the door and he turned around to face her. "It helps," she admitted softly. "Thank you."

Lucky nodded to acknowledge her thanks and the tentative peace that now existed between them. "If you ever need to talk I'm here," his simple offer could have been the end of it, but Lucky didn't immediately turn back to the door.

"I haven't heard anything officially, and I'm not even involved with the case anymore, but I can tell you this, between the two of them Nikolas and my dad know everything there is to know about Helena and they're highly motivated," he told her. "They'll find her and bring your baby back to you."

* * *

"How's Courtney?" 

"Hello to you too, big brother," Lucky smirked into the phone as he heard the terse question in place of a greeting.

"Lucky!" The impatience was clear in Nikolas's tone.

"She's stable," Lucky assured him. "She woke up yesterday."

"She's awake? Is she . . . what did she say?"

"I don't know; I wasn't there. Carly was with her though, when she woke up. She told me, she said that when Courtney woke up and realized the baby was missing she went into hysterics. She's calmer today, I went to see her earlier, and she's . . . she's not in great shape, but she's stronger than I ever gave her credit for. Jesse took her statement this afternoon, she confirmed that it was Helena who took her and we've put out an APB, not that I think it'll do any good, no doubt we've seen the last of Helena."

"I'm sure I couldn't say where my grandmother might turn up," Nikolas answered mildly, his satisfied smirk clearly transmitted even over the telephone.

"Any word on your son?" Lucky prudently opted for a change in subject. He'd already gotten all the information that he intended to on the subject of Helena, what he didn't know couldn't hurt Nikolas or Luke so from this point on they would treat the baby search as an entirely separate issue. "I'm sure it would help Courtney if I could give her some good news."

"That's, that's actually why I called. Tell her . . . tell everyone we're on our way home."

"You found him?" Lucky knew there was no way Nikolas would be returning to Port Charles without the baby but he was surprised that they had managed to find him so quickly. "Is he okay?"

"He's perfect," Nikolas's voice was thick with emotion, and he had to laugh a little at himself as he continued, "Your dad's actually watching him right now; he's been muttering about another generation of Cassadines but I'm pretty sure he doesn't have any immediate plans to smother him."

"That's . . ." Lucky took a moment to let it sink in, it was over; if they had the baby then Helena was dead, it was finally over. "Damn, Nik, that's great news," he murmured. "Everyone will be so relieved. Listen, where are you? No," he interrupted himself before Nikolas had the chance to say anything, "Don't answer that, I don't need to know that . . . but just let me know when you'll get back, and I'll pass the word along."

"No, it's okay," Nikolas appreciated Lucky's caution but didn't hesitate to answer. "We're in Russia - feel free to tell everyone that, by the way – currently we're at the St. Petersburg airport, and I have to get off the phone so that we can get in the air, but I'll see you in . . . oh, fourteen or fifteen hours."

"See you then," Lucky agreed, closing his phone he headed back the hospital with a smile.

* * *

"Back so soon?" Courtney asked when she Lucky Spencer standing in her doorway for the second time that day. 

"Nikolas called," Lucky answered with a broad grin. "He's on his way home."

"He is?" Courtney's gaze snapped up to meet Lucky's. "Does he – the baby – what did he say? Did he say any thing about my son?"

"He did better than that," Lucky smiled and pulled out his cell phone handing it to her.

The picture Nikolas had sent was grainy, the low quality typical of cell phone cameras, but it was Courtney's first view of her son and it drew a wounded cry from her lips. "Oh God," Courtney whispered her thumb brushing across the screen as she held up the phone. "Oh God, is that - that's my baby?"

"That's your baby," Lucky confirmed. "He's safe, he's with Nikolas, and he's on his way home."

"He's on his way home," Courtney repeated Lucky's words but made no move to relinquish the camera. "When will he get here?" she asked this time the tears that spilled down her face were tears of relief and joy – her baby was alright.

"Not until tomorrow," Lucky answered handing her a tissue. "When Nikolas called they were in Russia. They'll come straight here, but it's a long flight."

Courtney nodded an absent acknowledgment, Russia, China, Timbuktu, it didn't matter where they were as long as they were on their way here. "I'm sorry," she murmured absently pressing the tissue against her eyes. "I've been crying a lot lately and I can't seem to stop myself, I just . . ." she trailed off with an embarrassed shrug. She hated the tears but she just couldn't help it.

"It's okay," Lucky assured her. "After what you've been through I think you've earned the right to a few crying jags."


	12. Reunited

**Chapter Twelve: Reunited**

It was with no small sense of relief that Nikolas looked out the window of the jet to see the shining lights of Port Charles as they circled before landing, his son, it seemed, did not care for air travel. He had cried for nearly the entirety of the flight and Luke's death threats were starting to carry some actual heat.

Nikolas had considered every contingency as he planned this trip, every aspect from itinerary to alibi had been carefully orchestrated. The decision to come and go through a public airport had been deliberate, it meant filing a verifiable flight plan and would prove that he had gone to and returned from Russia, not Greece. All of this was necessary to getting away with murder and his plan was well thought out, except for one small factor. He had given little thought to the intricacies of reentering the United States with an undocumented infant. His son had no birth certificate, passport or visa and, absent medical tests which would be time consuming and inconvenient, he had no way to prove that he was the child's father, or that Courtney was his mother.

While the Russian officials had seen the name "Cassadine" and pointedly not asked any awkward questions, the Americans were . . . less obliging. Rather than receiving a deferential nod and deliberate failure to check his papers he was met with the open hostility of the immigration officer and two armed guards.

"Look," Nikolas's already frayed temper wasn't going to hold up to many more questions, "why don't you just call the authorities, then? Or better yet, let me do it. If you'll just let me use a phone, I'm sure that you'll find the Port Charles Police Department is willing to corroborate both my identity and my story."

"Let's call together," the Immigration officer suggested with grim smile before calling for a telephone to be brought into the interrogation room.

"Port Charles Police Department," someone picked up on the third ring.

"Commissioner Scorpio, if he's available," Nikolas spoke up at the agent's gesture.

"And who may I say is calling?"

"Nikolas Cassadine."

"Please hold, Mr. Cassadine, I'll see if he's available."

"Nikolas?" It took only a few seconds for Mac to pick up on the other end. "Did you find Helena?"

"Mac," Nikolas began, an explanation already prepared.

"Commissioner Scorpio?" the new voice broke in before Nikolas could explain the situation.

"Who's this?"

"Officer Daniels, airport security. Mr. Cassadine was apprehended at the Port Charles Airport attempting to smuggle an undocumented individual into the country."

"My son is less than two weeks old and an American citizen," Nikolas broke in, "and if I'd been attempting to smuggle him I would have landed the jet at a private air strip where I wouldn't have had to answer these types of questions."

"Oh for God's sake," Mac muttered as the situation became clear, this wasn't the first time he'd run into the rampant hysteria of an immigration officer following the passage of the Patriot Act. "Mr. Cassadine is traveling with a baby not a terrorist, Officer Daniels."

"Listen," he began after a moment's thought. "I'm familiar with Mr. Cassadine's situation; if you'll think back you probably read about it in the newspaper. His girlfriend's child was kidnapped and we have reason to believe that it was smuggled out of the country. I heard from his brother yesterday that Mr. Cassadine had located the child and was bringing it back. We do, of course, deplore Mr. Cassadine's methods, he should have left this matter to the police, but as of yet we have no basis for believing his actions were illegal. If they were, that will be addressed." The threat was clear as was the knowledge behind it; Mac knew who had taken the baby and what Nikolas had likely done to get him back.

"So here's what we're going to do," Mac said. "I'm going to send an officer there; he will escort Mr. Cassadine to the hospital where the child's mother is still under observation. They will do the standard DNA tests to confirm the child's identity. If he's not who Mr. Cassadine says he is, we'll be happy to turn him over to INS for deportation back to wherever Mr. Cassadine got him. If he's Ms. Matthews's son, he'll be safely returned to her. That meet with everyone's approval?"

The immigration officer offered his grudging assent and Nikolas his gratitude. "Luke's with me," while Nikolas was sure that Luke would be able to talk himself out of this situation if he hadn't already talked himself into a jail cell, in light of all that had occurred over the past few days he thought it would be unwise to leave the man hanging now.

"Of course he is." Mac muttered half tempted to leave Spencer rotting in the clutches of Homeland Security. "Fine, I'll send someone for him, too." Mac said before disconnecting the line.

* * *

True to form, no sooner had they cleared the airport than Luke took off. "It's been real Nikky, but I got a bottle of scotch waiting for me at home and no desire to get back into a confined space with your screaming whelp," Luke called as he headed away, the guard Mac had assigned making no move to stop him.

Just this once, Nikolas didn't bother to take offense; he simply shook his head and headed for the waiting car. Mac's officers had clearly been briefed on the situation because they took him directly to the hospital and left him there without any attempted interrogation along the way – Nikolas was grateful for the consideration but knew that Mac would make him pay for it later.

The child who had cried most of the way from St. Petersburg to Port Charles was blissfully quiet as Nikolas walked through the double doors of Port Charles General Hospital. His father was less at ease however, cradling the baby gently against his chest and with a diaper bag slung over one shoulder Nikolas was painfully conscious of the stares that greeted his arrival in the hospital lobby. He approached the nurses' station with more determination than confidence, while he had no doubt that the baby would receive a warm reception, Nikolas was all too aware of the likelihood that Courtney's family and even Courtney herself might blame him for the current situation. As important as it had been to find his son immediately a part of him suspected that in his haste to begin the search he had actually been taking the coward's way out, he hadn't wanted to be there when Courtney woke up, hadn't wanted to see the reproach in her eyes.

"Excuse me," he began, "I'm looking for -"

"Room 308," Epiphany interrupted too professional to let her eyes linger on the infant in the young man's arms. "I'll page Dr. Devlin to meet you there for the baby's exam."

"Thank you, but . . ." Nikolas hesitated, "is Dr. Scorpio working today?"

"Dr. Scorpio is not a pediatrician," Epiphany's response was stern.

"I know, but if she's available I would prefer that she look after my son, or at least be in attendance."

"Dr. Devlin is more than qualified for an infant's well-check and he's on call for all pediatric patients today." The nurse didn't appreciate a patient, or a patient's father, questioning the assignment of a physician; things were done a certain way at General Hospital and Epiphany wasn't interested in indulging the whims of every patient, or patient's father, that came through the hospital's doors, not even the whims of the hospital's principal benefactor.

"I am certain Dr. Devlin is perfectly competent," Nikolas replied with a tight smile, "but I don't know Dr. Devlin and I don't trust anyone I don't know, not right now and not with my son."

"Oh goodness, Nikolas, it is so good to see that you're home safe and sound; we've all been so worried about you," Bobbie Spencer was actually on her way out of the hospital after signing out for the evening when she overheard a couple of the younger nurses mention seeing Nikolas come in. Fortunate that she had, she realized now as she approached to defuse the situation. "You just let me get a look at this little one," she didn't try to remove the baby from Nikolas's arms, but did convince him to loosen his hold enough that she could see.

"Look at that dark hair, he looks just like you must have as a baby," Bobbie kept up a happy patter as she guided Nikolas away from Epiphany's territory and towards the elevators. "We'll go up and see Courtney first thing and then we'll send someone to find Robin so that she can give this one a check-up."

Bobbie stayed with Nikolas until the elevator doors opened into the third floor lobby. "Courtney's just down that way," she pointed the way without exiting the elevator. "I'll tell Robin you're here before I go," she promised pushing the button to send the elevator back downstairs.

It was late by the time he got to the hospital and Nikolas found himself alone in the deserted hallway when the elevator doors closed with Bobbie still inside. "Where is everybody?" he wondered aloud as he started off in the direction Bobbie had indicated.

308, the number beside the door assured Nikolas that this was the right room, but it was too quiet for comfort. He found it hard to believe that after everything she had been through Courtney's family would leave her alone in the hospital now. Shifting the child's weight to free one of his hands Nikolas knocked quietly on the door and waited for a response.

Gathering his courage, Nikolas prepared to enter Courtney's room uninvited, it took more than he had expected. Nikolas found this door more difficult for him to open than the door to Helena's study back in Greece. At least he'd known what waited for him on the other side of that door.

Pushing the door opened at last Nikolas saw the Courtney was asleep, he had no way of knowing that she had been sleepless the night before, that she'd spent hours clutching Lucky's cell phone, or that he'd been forced to send the picture on to Carly so that she could print out a copy before Courtney would even consider returning the phone to him. Whatever the cause of her fatigue, this one time Nikolas felt no remorse at the prospect of waking her. "Courtney," he called her name softly moving to the side of the bed and touching her shoulder to bring her awake.

"Hi," the word seemed more than inadequate but despite the fact that he had been both anticipating and dreading this moment for days, when Courtney's eyes opened at last he found himself at a total loss for words.

"Hi," Courtney echoed his greeting with just as much grace, but then her eyes came to rest on the baby and they filled with a new swell of tears. "Is that – Can I hold him?" she managed to ask.

"Yeah. Yes, of course," Nikolas answered stepped forward quickly, whatever her thoughts on him Nikolas had known that in the baby he'd brought something she wanted.

It took some maneuvering with Courtney's arm in a cast but a few moments later her baby was lying in her arms for the first time.

"He's beautiful," Nikolas's voice was quiet as he watched her watch their son.

"He is," Courtney agreed.

They sat in silence for a while letting the nightmares of the last few months fade, for the moment they were two parents like any other watching a newborn sleep.

That moment was perfect but it couldn't last, and soon enough Nikolas felt called to break the silence. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know, I didn't know about Helena, what she'd done and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry that I believed you were with Jax and didn't look for you. I'm sorry that I let you get involved with me and didn't do everything possible to protect you."

When Courtney didn't say anything in response to his litany of apologies, didn't even look at him, Nikolas forced himself to push on. "You're safe now," he promised.

"You've said that before," she whispered. "Do you remember? After Helena pushed me into the river you had her committed to a mental institution in Switzerland and you said she wouldn't be a threat to me. You were wrong; I wasn't safe."

"I was wrong then, but it's different this time. This time I made sure," Nikolas let Courtney's eyes steadily.

Part of her knew what Nikolas wasn't saying, but given everything that had happened over the last few months Courtney needed to hear the words this time.

"You've thought that before," she repeated. "How can I trust you now?"

"Because this time," Nikolas knew they were alone but he couldn't resist the instinctive urge to glance over his shoulder and make sure he wouldn't be overheard, "I stayed with her until her heart stopped beating."

"You're safe now," he promised again. "Both of you."

"We're safe," Courtney repeated the words as she brushed one hand over their son's head.

* * *

Lulu was waiting for Nikolas outside of Courtney's room when the doctor's finally told him that visiting hours had been over for some time and now he had to leave so that Courtney could rest.

"We waited," Lulu spoke up without preamble. "We all agreed that it should just be the two of you first, so we gave you some time. Well, you've had your alone time and now it's time that you introduce that baby to his family."

"Lulu," Nikolas began regarding his little sister with a tired smile, "it's been a really long . . . week."

"I know," Lulu answered sympathetic but unwavering, "but we're your family."

Nikolas had spent too much of his life wishing the support of his family to not be swayed by that argument. "Alright," he conceded. "Kelly's?"

"That's where everyone is waiting," Lulu confirmed, "and I do mean everyone; there's kind of a crowd."

* * *

Nikolas realized immediately that Lulu wasn't exaggerating about the crowd – Courtney's family was there, Sonny and Mike, Carly, Michael and Morgan, he even saw Jason lurking in the background. And his own family was there – he saw Lucky and Liz, Lulu and his grandmother Leslie, even Alexis and her girls.

Leslie was the first to approach him, giving him a fierce hug "I wish Laura was here to see this," she whispered in his ear, and Nikolas acknowledged the comment with a tired nod, but didn't say anything to encourage the subject – this moment shouldn't be about Laura.

Alexis made no move to rush into his arms, nor did she try to pry the baby away from him, she just met his eyes from across the room and he could see that she knew and understood. Alexis knew better than anyone what Helena was capable of and also the lengths to which one could be driven to right a wrong and to protect one's family, hadn't she killed Luis Alcazar to protect her sister? Without a word she assured Nikolas that she knew what he had done and that he had been right to do it.

While the greetings and questions were coming at him from every direction and Nikolas wanted nothing more than to flee the gauntlet that was his family, it was Kristina's innocent query that brought silence to the room. "What's his name?" she asked smiling down at her new cousin.

Hearing the question, everyone turned expectant eyes on Nikolas.

"He doesn't have one," Nikolas answered firmly unable to prevent the hard edge that came to his voice as he remembered the young nanny's assurances that Stavros was sleeping soundly.

The protests came in several voices, the baby was over a week old, he needed a name. "Helena gave him a name," Nikolas cut off the protests quickly. "I found it . . . inappropriate, and Courtney and I didn't really have a chance to discuss names. We'll let you know."


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Mr. Cassadine.""Yes, Alfred," Nikolas looked up from his correspondence at the intrusion. "Is my son awake?" he asked, guessing the most likely cause of the interruption. Since the moment his son was brought home Nikolas had left standing instructions to interrupt whatever he was doing when the baby woke up. For the moment business was addressed only while his son slept.

"No, sir," Alfred denied quietly. "There is someone here to see you." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "He claims to be an agent from Interpol."

"Interpol?" Nikolas maintained a carefully neutral expression as he leaned back in his chair. "By all means, show him in," he said.

"Mr. Cassadine," the man who followed Alfred into the study a few minutes later looked tired, he had come here directly from the airport, and it had beenn a long flight from Athens.

"Good evening, Officer -?" Nikolas stood up to shake hands with his visitor.

"Petersen," the other man supplied.

"Officer Petersen," Nikolas acknowledged. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cassadine; I'm afraid I must be the bearer of bad news." Petersen replied. "There has been an incident at your home in Greece."

"An incident?" Nikolas repeated, his apparent curiosity conveyed only by a lifted brow.

"With your grandmother."

"My grandmother," Nikolas sighed. "What has Helena done now?"

"She's dead." The words were blunt and to the point, intended to shock some reaction out of Nikolas that would give the investigator a clue about whether Nikolas was responsible for the death.

"Ahh . . ." Nikolas let out a slow breath as he sank back into his chair.

"Murdered." The inspector added still watching Nikolas carefully.

Nikolas nodded his acknowledgement of the words and was silent for a moment before replying. "My grandmother had a great many enemies."

"If you're concerned about retribution," he continued noticing the intense way the Inspector observed him, "don't be. I won't be avenging my grandmother's death. Helena may have been my grandmother but there was no love lost between us."

When the expression on Petersen's face became only more intense, Nikolas knew that his admission came as no surprise.

"Ah, I see," he concluded. "You were aware of that."

Petersen nodded but still didn't speak.

"You aren't here to inform me of my loss," he surmised. "You are here to question me about my grandmother's murder."

"Well, I will not deny that whoever killed Helena did me a tremendous favor; however, it was one that I neither asked for nor appreciate."

"You didn't want your grandmother dead, then?" the Inspector asked.

"Of course I wished her dead," Nikolas acknowledged bitterly. "I only regret that her killer robbed me of the opportunity to handle her myself."

Nikolas's smile was chilling and his eyes burned brightly as he regarded the officer investigating Helena's murder. "How did my grandmother die?" he asked after a moment. He leaned forward just far enough to encroach on the other man's personal space and make him a little more uncomfortable. "Tell me, did she suffer?"

"It . . ." the Inspector hesitated, unsure of how to best respond. "Actually, it appears to have been quick. Two shots to the chest from a revolver, small caliber." He was a little sickened by the disappointment he saw in the face of the Cassadine prince, but he forged on determined to learn as much as he could. "One thing though, that was a little strange," he said. "Maybe you can explain it to me."

"I'll try," Nikolas agreed.

"Any idea why the shooter would have used silver bullets?"

"Silver bullets?" Nikolas repeated his smile returning. "Someone who knew her then."

"So, you recognize some significance in the choice. Anything you care to share?"

Nikolas laughed out loud this time. "Only that silver is a symbol of purity and protection against evil. According to legend creatures of the night can only be killed by pure silver – werewolves, vampires, that sort of thing. Kill them with something else and they'll rise again, but silver's like poison to the undead. And Helena, all the Cassadines really, but especially Helena, are famous for their tendency to rise from the dead. My own father, for instance, reappeared suddenly right here in Port Charles after having been dead for more than twenty years. And his body has never actually been found. So, who knows?"

Acknowledging to himself that he was suddenly frightened of this young man, Petersen nevertheless brought them back on track. "I need to ask where you were three days ago," he said.

"You may ask," Nikolas granted waiting a moment to watch the investigator's reaction before he relented. "Three days ago?" he confirmed the date with a slight smile. "Is that when my grandmother was killed? I was in Russia; I went there to retrieve my son."

"I'm sure that before you were dispatched to Port Charles you were informed of our recent family incident, my son's kidnapping?"

"I was informed," the Inspector acknowledged. "I understood that you believed your grandmother to be responsible."

"My grandmother was responsible," Nikolas's voice was firm.

"And yet you expect me to believe that you went to Russia when you must have known your grandmother was in Greece."

"My grandmother was responsible," Nikolas repeated, "but I wanted my son back more than I wanted revenge for what she'd done."

"And the child was in Russia?" the disbelief was evident in Petersen's expression.

"Of course," Nikolas affirmed. "Helena had no interest in raising an infant. Having taken him from me to insure that I would not corrupt my son with my weak emotions, she found a 'suitable' family to foster him until he was old enough to begin training properly. She would have taken him back when he was about four and taken over his instruction then. She would have molded him in my father's image, a sociopath of the first order. I couldn't let that happen."

"A 'suitable' family, Inspector, could only mean one thing - Cassadines. So when I discovered what my grandmother had done I went to the family myself. I put out the word that the child was mine and my cousins contacted me within hours. I flew to Russia immediately."

The story was rehearsed, Petersen knew it in his gut, but it was plausible. And something told him that it would check out, that if he caught the next flight to Russia and started asking questions he would find dozens of Cassadines who remembered getting phone calls from the Prince, and one family that would probably be able to show him an empty nursery which they would swear had recently housed the stolen infant.

"Why take Luke Spencer with you if you weren't planning to kill your grandmother?" he pushed on despite the fact that he had already given this case up as a lost cause; Helena's murder would undoubtedly go unsolved. "The animosity between you is well known, as is his history of violence towards your family."

"Luke hates Cassadines, and he's killed more than one member of my family." Nikolas agreed. "That's why I asked him to come with me. I wanted to make a statement that my family would understand."

He smiled. "There is no one in the world who makes a statement quite like Luke Spencer, and my publicly allying myself with my father's murderer . . . No one doubts now that I will do whatever is necessary to protect my son."

"I certainly don't doubt it," the acknowledgment was quiet. Petersen wondered if this cold young man had actually killed his grandmother himself or had asked someone else to do it, perhaps Luke Spencer.

"Your son," Petersen asked suddenly, "what's his name?"

Flashback

"He needs a name," Nikolas reminded Courtney as he watched her hold the baby. He had returned to the hospital before visiting hours technically started but the nurse had taken pity on them, or perhaps been unnerved by the way he lurked outside Courtney's door and permitted them early entry.

"I know."

"Helena, she called him Stavros, but I don't want to name him for my father."

"I know," Courtney said again.

"Do you, what did you want to call him?" Nikolas stumbled over the question. "Isn't that what pregnant women do, debate over names."

"Women who think they're going to get to name their babies, sure. I didn't really think I would have any say in it. Helena was pretty honest on the whole leaving me to die front, so I didn't really plan ahead," Courtney reminded him.

Nikolas winced, unsure of how to respond, but positive that another apology from him for his grandmother's evil wouldn't be helpful at this point. "I'm sorry," he heard himself say the words again anyway.

"It's not your fault," Courtney acknowledged, more forgiving this morning than she had been the night before.

"Helena debated names," she continued. "Every day while I was pregnant, Helena would come and visit me, well visit the baby, really. And I heard her debating names: Stavros, Mikkos, Alexander - names fit for prince, she said. And I hated them, I hated all of her names because they weren't names for my little boy, they were names for her prince."

"I just - just when I was alone, I called him Joe. It wasn't really that I wanted to name him that - it was really just that I knew she would hate it. It's too . . . ordinary, too American. Certainly not a name for her precious heir."

'Joe' Nikolas was repeating the name in his mind when Courtney continued. "But he's not . . . He's not some heir, Nikolas. He's just a baby. He's our baby, Nikolas, not her heir.

End Flashback

"Joseph Spencer Cassadine, his name is Joseph Spencer Cassadine."

"And now, Inspector Petersen. I believe I have answered all the questions I intend to tonight. If you have any further requests you know where you can find me. I hope that you will keep me apprised of any developments in your investigation."

"Of course," Petersen acknowledged, knowing that he wouldn't be getting anything else from the Prince that night, or any night.


End file.
